Treatment of active tuberculosis: Challenges and prospects

Insights gained from studies done by the TBTC have resulted in major changes in the recommendations for drug therapy of tuberculosis in HIV-infected and noninfected individuals [1-5]. Although the goals for the treatment of tuberculosis remain the same, these advances require that tuberculosis drug therapy now be more individualized. Treatment regimens are based on a patient's risk profile based on a combination of hematologic, microbiologic, clinical, and radiographic findings [6]. Although they are more complicated than the previous guidelines, they allow treatment to be refined so that it can be extended in patients at high risk for treatment failure and allow shorter, more convenient treatment regimens in patients who can be identified as being at very low risk for failure [2].